Virtualization and Private Cloud with VMware Cloud Suite

Lee Chao

• Publisher: Auerbach Publications
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781351847896
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Operations
• Index: Business

To help readers understand virtualization and cloud computing, this book is designed to cover the theories and concepts enough to understand the cutting-edge technology. Meanwhile, in this book, the reader can gain hands-on skills on VMware Cloud Suite to create a private cloud. With the academic support from VMware, readers can use the VMware supported software to create various virtualized IT infrastructures sophisticated enough for various sized enterprises. Then, the virtualized IT infrastructure can be made available to an enterprise through the private cloud services.

1 Introduction to Cloud Computing

Objectives

• Comprehend cloud computing
• Get familiar with VMware vCloud Suite
• Analyze hardware and software requirements
• Understand virtualized information technology infra­structure

1.1 Introduction

The goal of this chapter is to provide an overview of the cloud-based information technology (IT) infrastructure. Cloud computing is an Internet-based computing platform. In the cloud computing environment, instead of developing its own IT infrastructure and application development platform, and supporting the software, an organization can subscribe these services from a cloud provider. The cloud provider provides computing resources such as software, application development platform, and virtualized IT infrastructure to cloud service subscribers. The cloud subscribers only pay for the services and computing resources they use to reduce cost. Without constructing an IT infrastructure to support e-commerce or online teaching activities, there will be no upfront expenditure on the IT infrastructure for the company or the education institution. Right after the computing resources have been subscribed from the cloud provider, the company or the education institution can get a quick start to meet their computation needs. The physical IT infrastructure supporting the cloud services will be managed by the cloud provider. This means that the subscriber can further reduce cost on the maintenance of the IT infrastructure.

In addition, cloud computing is more efficient on the usage of computing resources. As the business grows, the company or the education institution can subscribe more services and computing resources. Cloud computing is a more flexible computing platform; it is relatively easy for a subscriber to alter an application development platform or the virtualized IT infrastructure to meet its needs. A public cloud is especially useful for handling peak demands by scaling up the computing resources without delay. Another advantage of cloud computing is the cloud services such as the software, the application development platform, or the virtualized IT infrastructure, which can be accessed through the Internet anywhere and anytime. Subscribing cloud services from cloud providers can be a great solution for small businesses that lack computing resources and skills to support their own IT infrastructure.

Cloud services can be subscribed from a public cloud provider, from a private cloud provider, or from a cloud provider combining both public and private clouds. For a public cloud, cloud subscribers can get computing resources and services from a third-party cloud provider such as Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, IBM Blue Cloud, and Microsoft Windows Azure. The cloud services can be categorized into three major types: (1) software as a service (SaaS), (2) infrastructure as a service (IaaS), and (3) platform as a service (PaaS).

Software as a service: SaaS provides application software to subscribers. The application software provided by SaaS is accessible through personal computing devices such as notebook computers or mobile devices anywhere and anytime. Some of the well-known public SaaS services are available for subscribers. Google provides cloud-based application software such as Google Mail, Google Docs, Google Cloud Print, and Google Calendar. Similarly, Microsoft also provides cloud-based applications such as Microsoft Office 365. In addition to Web-based Office software such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, Microsoft Office 365 includes software for cloud-based email, shared calendars, personal computer (PC)–to-PC calling, videoconferencing, and antivirus and antispam filters.

Platform as a service: PaaS provides a Web-based application development platform for cloud subscribers. The application development platform includes software such as server operating systems (OSs), databases, middleware, Web servers, and project management tools. By subscribing to a PaaS service, subscribers do not have to construct and maintain the application development platform and the IT infrastructure that supports the application development platform. They can then focus on designing, developing, testing, deploying, and upgrading their application projects. The PaaS service allows application developers to work collaboratively on a project through the Internet.

One of the publicly available PaaS services is Microsoft Azure, which provides a platform that consists of data storage, network infrastructure, and application development software. Microsoft Azure also provides tools for testing and deploying application projects. With Microsoft Azure, application developers are able to create various Web-based applications, as well as mobile applications.

Infrastructure as a service: IaaS provides the virtualized IT infrastructure that consists of networks, servers, data storage, and client computers. With IaaS, subscribers can create their own IT infrastructure such as their own networks and their own client–server infrastructure. They can run their own database servers, Web servers, domain controllers, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) service, and domain name service.

Amazon is such a public cloud provider that provides IaaS through Amazon Web Services (AWS). AWS IaaS provides cloud subscribers with virtual network servers, virtual desktop computers, data storage, and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. The IaaS service provided by AWS allows the subscribers to choose prebuilt virtual machines installed with various OSs and application software. The cloud subscribers can also install their own software on the virtual machines provided by AWS. This means that a cloud subscriber is able to install free or open-source software such as the open-source database MySQL, which runs on a Linux OS...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Halftitle Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Author
• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10
• Chapter 11
• Appendix A
• Appendix B
• Appendix C
• Bibliography
• Index